Talent gap? Find your talent goldmine

There’s often hand-wringing over the so-called “talent shortage” – companies scramble to find the right people, headlines warn of skills gaps widening and HR teams exhaust their budgets just trying to stay competitive.

But what if the problem isn’t a lack of talent? What if we’ve just been looking in the wrong direction all along?

It’s time to shift the conversation from scarcity to strategy. And the smartest hiring leaders are already doing it.

The myth of the talent shortage

Let’s be honest: there’s no shortage of qualified, experienced, ready-to-work professionals.

What we do have is a hiring system that favours sameness, overlooks flexibility and penalises lived experience that doesn’t neatly fit into an eight-to-five, linear career path.

And nowhere is this clearer than in how we treat working moms.

An untapped goldmine of talent

Working moms are some of the most capable, resilient and efficient people in the workforce. They don’t just manage time – they optimise it. Through both professional and personal experience, they’ve built skills in leadership, emotional intelligence, multitasking and problem-solving.

Yet, many are held back by outdated workplace models that equate productivity with presence and ambition with availability.

These moms aren’t out of work; they’re in the workforce – just boxed in, underutilised and often overlooked for roles that demand visibility over value.

The latest Working Women in South Africa Report reveals that nearly half of skilled women currently working are looking for another job. This jumps to 84% when back-to-office mandates increase. Thirty-one percent are not working and are looking for a job.

The companies that will win in the future? They see it differently

Forward-thinking businesses aren’t doubling down on the old playbook; they’re rewriting it.

They’re:

• Embracing outcomes-based measurement in roles over rigid hours
• Offering true flexibility, not as a perk but a core pillar
• Creating inclusive paths to progression, where working parents aren’t seen as risky hires but as strategic ones
• Reframing leadership potential around emotional intelligence, loyalty and adaptability – all strengths working moms bring in spades

What’s at stake? Your competitive edge

Companies that fail to adapt will continue to recycle the same candidates from the same shrinking pools. Those who evolve their approach will tap into a rich, loyal, highly skilled talent source that’s already proven – just underleveraged.

In a hiring landscape obsessed with disruption, the most disruptive thing you can do is see value where others don’t.

Turn the gap into a goldmine

If you’re serious about solving the talent crisis, look beyond the conventional.

Start hiring differently. Hire better. Start with moms.

At RecruitMyMom.co.za, we help businesses access a vetted network of professionals who bring more than skills – they bring drive, empathy and business sense.

The future of hiring isn’t about finding more people; it’s about finally seeing the people already here.